Belt.



No. 690,863. Patented Jan. 7, 11902.

J. LOEFFELHOLZ.

BELT. 16 t' (No Model.)

A TTOHNES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB LOEFFELHOLZ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BELT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 690,863, dated January 7, 1902.

Serial No. 62,216. (No model.)

To all whom it nmy concern.-

Be it known that I, JAooB LOEFFELHOLZ, a citizen of the Empire of Austria-Hungary, residing in New York, borough of Manhattan, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Belts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved belt for the use of ladies and gentlemen, said belt being so constructed that the heavy metallic buckle heretofore used and the corrosion incident thereto are entirely done away with and a neat, cheap, and convenient belt supplied; and the invention consists of a belt which is provided at one end with an enlarged portion having a transverse opening, a correspondingly-perforated reinforcing-plate of sheet metal attached to said enlarged portion, and a tongue attached to said reinforcingplate and passing from one side of the enlarged end of the belt to the other side of the same and engaging the opposite perforated end of the belt, as will be fully described hereinafter and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective View of my improved belt. Fig. 2 is a top view of the buckle end of the same drawn on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section on line 3 3, Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a detail of the reinforcing-plate, with the tongue attached thereto, shown detached from the enlarged end of the belt.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. I

Referring to the drawings, A represents a belt made of leather or other suitable material and finished in any suitable manner. One end of the belt is made of greater width than the body of the belt, While the opposite end.

is provided with the usual perforations. The enlarged end ct may be made either integral with the body a of the belt or separate therefrom in a separate piece, which is stitched or otherwise attached thereto. It is provided with an opening a of sufficient width to permit passage of the body a, and is reinforced bya sheet-metal plate 0, that is provided with a corresponding opening which registers with the opening in the enlarged end A. The sheet 'metal reinforcing-plate C is attached by rivets or otherwise to the enlarged end of the belt at one side of the same and covered by a layer Z) of leather or other fabric, as shown in Fig. 3. To the center of the reinforcing plate 0 is soldered, riveted, or otherwise attached the end of a metallic tongue 01, which is curved, so as to pass through the openings of the belt and plate 0, the end 6 of the tongue being preferably curved slightly toward the enlarged end, so as to readily pass into any one of the perforations A The belt is provided with the usual loops 6 for retaining the perforated end of the belt after the same has been passed through the reinforced enlarged end and placed on the tongue d. The sheet-metal reinforcing-plate C is not absolutely rigid; butit is preferably made, at its outerend b, at least, thin enough to yield slightly, thus facilitating the operation of the buckle. The outer end of the tongue d is preferably normally raised from the enlarged end, as shown in Fig. 3, which also facilitates operating the buckle,and when the belt is applied for use the strain on the same draws the outer end portion 1) and tongue at into contact. The enlarged end, with its reinforcing-plate and tongue, forms a buckle in place of the separate metallic buckle heretofore USGCLWlllOh being of leather at the front and rear is not liable to corrosion, as the metallic buckle heretofore used, and is lighter than the same, While it imparts a very nice finish to the belt.

My improved belt has the advantage that it can be readily applied to the body by passing the perforated end of the belt through the opening of the enlarged end and placing one of the perforations of the perforated end over the tongue and under the retaining-loops c. It forms a cheaper, lighter, and neater belt than the belts with large heavy metallic buckles heretofore in use.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A belt, provided at one end with an enlarged portion, and at the other end with perforations, said enlarged portion having a transverse opening, a reinforcingplate secured to said enlarged portion and having an opening registering with the opening of the same, and a tongue attached to the reinforcing-plate and passed through the opening in the enlarged portion to the other side of the same, so as to engage the perforated end of the belt, substantially as set forth.

2. In a belt, an enlarged end portion pro- 5 vided with a transverse opening, a reinforcing-plate secured to said portion at one side of the same and havinga transverse opening registering with the transverse opening in the same, and a curved tongue, the inner end of said tongue being attached to said plate and the curved portion passing through said openings to the opposite side of the enlarged portion, substantially as set forth.

3. As an improvement in belts, the combination, With an enlarged portion at one end enlarged portion, a covering layer extending over said reinforcing-plate, and a tongue, the flattened rear end of which is attached to the reinforcing-plate, While the curved end is passed through the open in gs to the other side of the enlarged portion, substantially as set forth.

4. A belt, consisting of a belt-body, an enlarged portion at one end of said body, provided with an opening adapted to permit the passage of the same, a reinforcing-plate of yielding material provided witha corresponding opening and applied to said enlarged portion at one side of the same, anda stationary tongue attached at its rear end rigidly to said plate and extending across the openings of the enlarged portion and plate, substantially as set forth.

Intestiinony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JACOB LOEFFELHOLZ.

Witnesses:

PAUL GoEPEL, J osnrn I-I. NILES. 

